Field
This disclosure relates generally to equalizers, and more specifically, to a passive equalizer capable of use in high-speed data communication.
Related Art
High-speed serial data communication is used in many different applications. A high-speed serial data communication system typically includes a transmitter for generating an electrical signal which represents serial data, a channel for transmitting the electrical signal, and a receiver for receiving the transmitted electrical signal and detecting the serial data represented by the electrical signal. In one example, the channel is typically a trace on a printed circuit board (PCB). Alternatively, it may be a different type of transmission line. Generally, the channel operates like a low-pass filter in which the high frequency portion of the signal is attenuated. This results in distortion the transmitted electrical signal. An equalizer may therefore be used to equalize the overall gain in the overall transmission path for different frequency components in the electrical signals. The equalizer attempts to operate opposite to the channel by boosting the gain at the higher frequencies. While passive equalizers consume less power than active equalizers, passive equalizers available today are limited.